Scottish Executive

Air Services

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any applications for support from the route development fund to create new services from Aberdeen Airport.

Nicol Stephen: Officials from the Executive and Scottish Enterprise, together with consultants appointed to support the Interim Route Development Fund, have discussed a number of possible routes from Aberdeen. Whilst none of these discussions has led to an agreement as yet, negotiations are continuing.

Ambulance Service

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to recruit volunteers into the Scottish Ambulance Service and what standard of training such volunteers would require to be eligible for recruitment.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Ambulance Service is targeting its efforts to recruit volunteers in the remote and rural areas of Scotland where the life saving interventions they can provide will bring the greatest benefit. They will be used to enhance the level of immediate care available until more qualified medical help can arrive. The ambulance service will conduct all necessary training, which is accredited to the Institute of Health Care Development "First on Scene" level.

Animal Welfare

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals regarding its current funding situation and when any such discussions took place.

Hugh Henry: The society has not sought such discussions with the Executive. An officer of the society telephoned an Executive official on 14 May, offering an opportunity to inform the Executive in more detail about the society's current financial position and the action it is taking in response.

Animal Welfare

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the work of the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and what assessment it has carried out of the potential impact of any closure of the society’s animal welfare centres.

Hugh Henry: The Executive does not at present provide financial assistance to the society. No such assessment has been carried out.

Animal Welfare

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to develop a rescue plan in conjunction with the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to prevent any closure of the society’s animal rescue centres.

Hugh Henry: The society has not invited the Executive to become involved in these matters.

Animal Welfare

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make funding available to the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to address its current financial situation.

Hugh Henry: The society has not applied to the Executive for support of any kind.

Animal Welfare

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with COSLA about the impact that any closure of Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals animal rescue centres would have on local authority services and budgets.

Hugh Henry: No such discussions have been held.

Animal Welfare

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the current levels of water charges are having on the finances of the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Hugh Henry: No such assessment has been made by the Executive.

Animal Welfare

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that animal welfare services are available in the light of possible closure of seven of the 13 animal welfare centres run by the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Hugh Henry: The Executive has no such plans.

Animal Welfare

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to meet the board of management of the Scottish Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals in order to discuss the possible closure of seven of the society’s animal welfare centres.

Hugh Henry: The society has not sought a meeting with the Executive.

Animal Welfare

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial assistance could be given by national and local government for the statutory services provided by the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Hugh Henry: I understand the society has taken certain actions towards improving its financial position and will be considering the results of these actions shortly. The society has not made any application to the Executive for financial assistance. It is not known whether any applications have been made to local authorities.

Asylum Seekers

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on what occasions HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland has visited Dungavel House immigration removal centre.

Cathy Jamieson: HM Chief Inspector of Prisons has not visited Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre. However, representatives from HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland visited the centre during the inspection of that establishment by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for England and Wales between 7 and 10 October 2002.

Autism

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that GPs and primary care professionals are aware of the possible indicators that a patient may have an autistic spectrum disorder.

Malcolm Chisholm: Highland NHS Board is piloting a pro-forma for the assessment of suspected autistic spectrum disorder in children, for use by a range of community paediatricians. This is one of a range of initiatives across Scotland that aim to improve assessment and diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorders.

  A reference group was set up in June 2002, to advise ministers as work progresses on implementation of the Public Health Institute of Scotland’s Autistic Spectrum Disorders Needs Assessment Report. The group is focusing on assessment and diagnosis as a priority, and it will take account of a range of research knowledge and good practice before recommending further action to ensure primary care and other professionals are aware of the possible indicators of autistic spectrum disorders.

Autism

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether appropriate guidelines and procedures are now in place to ensure early identification, assessment, diagnosis and access to early interventions for pre-school and primary school-age children with an autistic spectrum disorder.

Peter Peacock: Guidance on special educational needs, including autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), is contained in the Manual of Good Practice for all staff and professionals involved with children and young people with special educational needs (SEN), Effective Provision for Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) and Circular 4/96: Children and Young People with SEN – Assessment and Recording  and the framework document  Moving Forward! Additional Support for Learning.  In addition, proposals for changes to the current system for the assessment and recording of children with SEN were published for consultation in the draft Education (Additional Support for Learning) Bill on 17 January 2003. Copies of these documents are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

  Since April 1999, the Executive’s Special Educational Needs Innovation Grants programme has awarded a total of £12.7 million to voluntary organisations to pilot projects related to special educational needs, including ASD. For example, the National Autistic Society has produced a training pack for local authorities in developing good practice and is reviewing current training provision for ASD to develop a targeted national training framework while the Scottish Society for Autism is providing an ASD education advisory service.

  I also refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-62 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search..

Business

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to review the basis of valuation of premises for the purposes of the business rate levy.

Mr Andy Kerr: We have no such plans.

Civil Servants

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil and public servants it estimates that it and its executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies will require in each of the next four years.

Mr Andy Kerr: The full-time equivalent number of permanent staff employed in the core departments of the Scottish Executive, executive agencies and associated departments are provided in the following table.

  Information on staffing levels for each non-departmental public body (NDPB) can be found on the Scottish Executive website (www.scotland.gov.uk/government/publicbodies) under the Scottish Public Bodies Directory.

  There are no plans to increase capacity in the Scottish Executive core departments beyond existing staffing levels over the Spending Review 2002 period. The focus for the period ahead will be to prioritise what the organisation does, and where necessary to reshape the organisation to ensure resources are aligned with the key delivery priorities.

  It will be for executive agencies, associated departments and NDPBs to decide what staffing levels are appropriate for their own particular circumstances and within their approved budgets.

  Civil Servants (Full-Time Equivalents) in the Scottish Executive Core Departments, Agencies and Associated Departments, as at 1 April 2003

  


Total 
  

 15,333.1 
  



Scottish Executive Core Departments 
  

 4,332.6 
  



Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal 
  

 1,449.3 
  



Agencies and Associated Departments 
  

 9,551.2 
  



Accountant in Bankruptcy 
  

 80.3 
  



Communities Scotland 
  

 379.5 
  



Fisheries Research Service 
  

 325.7 
  



General Register Office for Scotland 
  

 213.6 
  



Historic Scotland 
  

 735.2 
  



HMI Education 
  

 150.2 
  



National Archive of Scotland 
  

 147.2 
  



Registers of Scotland 
  

 1,338.5 
  



Scottish Agricultural Science Agency 
  

 134.9 
  



Scottish Court Service 
  

 941.1 
  



Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency 
  

 259.2 
  



Scottish Prison Service 
  

 4,483.2 
  



Scottish Public Pensions Agency 
  

 232.4 
  



Student Awards Agency for Scotland 
  

 130.2

Community Service Orders

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many community service orders were issued in the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available; how many such orders were breached, and how the effectiveness of such orders was monitored.

Cathy Jamieson: The latest figures for Community Service Orders (CSOs) relate to the period 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002:

  


CSOs Issued 
  

4,564 
  



Breach Applications 
  

1,154 
  



Terminations due to Breach 
  

957 
  



  Monitoring of CSOs is regulated through provisions set out in National Objectives and Standards for Social Work Services in the Criminal Justice System. These include general compliance with the conditions of the order, work performance and personal conduct. The standards set out in detail the disciplinary procedures to be followed when an offender fails, without reasonable cause, to comply with the requirements of the order

Compulsory Purchase Orders

Mr Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-26687 by Hugh Henry on 26 June 2002, how many compulsory purchase orders were instigated and successfully completed by each local authority in 2002, broken down by categories where appropriate.

Ms Margaret Curran: The information held by the Executive is to be found in the following table.

  The Executive holds information only on those compulsory purchase orders submitted to the Scottish ministers as confirming authority. We do not hold information on those orders instigated by a local authority but not submitted for confirmation or on the outcome of the order following confirmation by ministers.

  The table shows compulsory purchase orders submitted by local authorities to the Scottish ministers and those confirmed by them. The table also shows the purposes for which the orders were made.

  Number of Local Authority Compulsory Purchase Orders Received and Confirmed in 2002

  


Council 
  

Purpose 
  

2002 
  



Received 
  

Confirmed 
  



Aberdeen 
  

Roads 
  

1 
  

1 
  



Planning 
  

4 
  

3 
  



East Renfrewshire 
  

Planning 
  

1 
  

1 
  



Edinburgh



Roads 
  

1 
  

0 
  



Planning 
  

1 
  

1 
  



Housing 
  

1 
  

0 
  



Falkirk 
  

Housing 
  

1 
  

0 
  



Fife



Roads 
  

1 
  

0 
  



Planning 
  

1 
  

0 
  



Housing 
  

1 
  

0 
  



Inverclyde 
  

Planning 
  

0 
  

3 
  



Midlothian 
  

Roads 
  

1 
  

0 
  



Perth and Kinross 
  

Planning 
  

1 
  

0 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

Listed Buildings 
  

1 
  

0 
  



Housing 
  

3 
  

0 
  



Scottish Borders 
  

Roads 
  

2 
  

0 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

Roads 
  

4 
  

1 
  



Planning 
  

0 
  

1 
  



Stirling 
  

Planning 
  

2 
  

0 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

Planning 
  

1 
  

0 
  



Total 
  
 

28 
  

11

Compulsory Purchase Orders

Mr Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any information showing the location of compulsory purchase orders on a more detailed geographical basis than by local authority area.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Acquisition of Land (Authorisation Procedures) Scotland Act 1947 requires that a compulsory purchase order should be on a prescribed form and shall describe by reference to a map the land to which it applies.

  However, the Scottish Executive does not collate information about local authority promoted compulsory purchase orders on any more detailed geographical basis.

Compulsory Purchase Orders

Mr Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average length of time was for compulsory purchase orders referred to it by local authorities to be processed in each of the last 10 years.

Ms Margaret Curran: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Compulsory Purchase Orders

Mr Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the average length of time taken by local authorities to process compulsory purchase orders, broken down by category where appropriate in each of the last 10 years.

Ms Margaret Curran: This information is not held centrally.

Council Tax

Mrs Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports reassessing council tax bands in the City of Edinburgh Council area.

Mr Andy Kerr: Following consultation with COSLA we will establish an independent review into local government finance.

Courts

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33922 by Mr Jim Wallace on 20 February 2003, how many, and what value of, fines were written off in each sheriff court district in (a) 2001-02 and (b) 2002-03.

Cathy Jamieson: The number of district court fines remitted in 2001-02 was given in reply to question S1W-33922. Data for 2002-03 are not expected to be available until the autumn of 2003. The values of district court fines remitted are not held centrally.

  Data on sheriff court fines remitted in 2001-2 and 2002-03 are currently being compiled. I will write once this information is available and place a copy of the letter in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

  Cathy Jamieson provided a further answer pursuant to this question on 29 August 2003 at page 555; http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/wa-03/wa0829.htm

Courts

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33922 by Mr Jim Wallace on 20 February 2003, how many, and what value of, district court fines were remitted (a) fully or (b) in part in 2002-03, broken down by sheriff court district.

Cathy Jamieson: Information on the number of district court fines remitted in 2002-03 is not expected to be available until the autumn of 2003. Data on the values of district court fines remitted are not held centrally.

Courts

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32604 by Hugh Henry on 3 January 2003, what the value of proceeds of district court fines sent to HM Treasury was in 2002-03.

Cathy Jamieson: Data in respect of 2002-03 are not expected to be available until the autumn of 2003.

Courts

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-27637 and S1W-30470 by Mr Jim Wallace on 19 September and 4 November 2002 respectively, how many, and what value of, sheriff court fines were outstanding on 31 March 2003, in total and broken down by sheriff court district.

Cathy Jamieson: The data requested are currently being compiled. I will write once this information is available and place a copy of the letter in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

  Cathy Jamieson provided a further answer pursuant to this question on 29 August 2003 at page 556; http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/wa-03/wa0829.htm

Courts

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27635 by Mr Jim Wallace on 13 August 2002, how many, and what value of, district court fines were outstanding on 31 March (a) 2002 and (b) 2003, in total and broken down by sheriff court district.

Cathy Jamieson: The available information is given in the following table. Data for the year ending March 2003 are not expected to be available until the autumn of 2003. Yearly totals for Scotland are not comparable due to data being unavailable in different courts in different years.

  Value (£) of Fines Imposed by District Courts Outstanding at 31 March 2002

  


District court 
  

Value Outstanding (£) 
  



Aberdeen City 
  

109,918 
  



Aberdeenshire 
  

54,225 
  



Angus 
  

70,341 
  



Argyll and Bute 
  

23,926 
  



Clackmannanshire 
  

22,870 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

64,090 
  



Dundee City 
  

115,378 
  



East Ayrshire 
  

21,163 
  



East Dunbartonshire 
  

10,561 
  



East Lothian 
  

23,739 
  



East Renfrewshire 
  

8,067 
  



Edinburgh, City of 
  

55,188 
  



Eilean Siar 
  

N/A 
  



Falkirk 
  

136,174 
  



Fife 
  

18,707 
  



Glasgow City 
  

873,025 
  



Highland 
  

147,549 
  



Inverclyde 
  

46,182 
  



Midlothian 
  

21,822 
  



Moray 
  

17,995 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

20,529 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

N/A 
  



Perth and Kinross 
  

98,337 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

48,009 
  



Scottish Borders 
  

79,664 
  



South Ayrshire 
  

83,080 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

283,564 
  



Stirling 
  

N/A 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

82,225 
  



West Lothian 
  

N/A 
  



Scotland 
  

2,536,328 
  



  Note:

  "N/A" denotes data not available.

Courts

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27622 by Mr Jim Wallace on 13 August 2002, how many fines were recovered by civil diligence following the procedure under section 221 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 and what proportion this represents of the total number of all fines imposed in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003, in total and broken down by sheriff court district.

Cathy Jamieson: The available information is given in the table. These figures are compiled on the basis of calendar years and, therefore, figures for 2003 are not yet available.

  Number of Sheriff Court Fines Ordered for Recovery by Civil Diligence and Proportion this Represents of Total Fines Imposed1, 2002

  


Sheriff Court 
  

Number of Fines 
  

% of Total Fines Imposed 
  



Aberdeen 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Airdrie 
  

1 
  

0.07 
  



Alloa 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Arbroath 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Ayr 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Banff 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Campbeltown 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Cupar 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Dingwall 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Dornoch 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Dumbarton 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Dumfries 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Dundee 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Dunfermline 
  

1 
  

0.08 
  



Dunoon 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Duns 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Edinburgh 
  

3 
  

0.05 
  



Elgin 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Falkirk 
  

1 
  

0.07 
  



Forfar 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Fort William 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Glasgow 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Greenock 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Haddington 
  

1 
  

0.17 
  



Hamilton 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Inverness 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Jedburgh 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Kilmarnock 
  

1 
  

0.05 
  



Kirkcaldy 
  

1 
  

0.06 
  



Kirkcudbright 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Kirkwall 
  

1 
  

0.54 
  



Lanark 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Lerwick 
  

1 
  

0.42 
  



Linlithgow 
  

1 
  

0.06 
  



Lochmaddy 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Oban 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Paisley 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Peebles 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Perth 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Peterhead 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Portree 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Rothesay 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Selkirk 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Stirling 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Stonehaven 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Stornoway 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Stranraer 
  

1 
  

0.14 
  



Tain 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Wick 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Total 
  

13 
  

0.03 
  



  Note:

  1. Fines marked for recovery by civil diligence in whole or in part. There are no figures available on the actual amounts recovered.

Courts

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27633 by Mr Jim Wallace on 13 August 2002, what value of fiscal fines accepted as an alternative to prosecution under section 302 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 was outstanding on 31 March (a) 2002 and (b) 2003, in total and broken down by sheriff court district.

Cathy Jamieson: Fiscal fines are generally collected by the district courts and, as such, the information collated centrally and given in the following table is by district court, rather than sheriff court. Information on the value of fiscal fines outstanding in Orkney and Shetland, where payment is made to the sheriff court, is not readily available from the information held centrally. Data for the year ending March 2003 are not expected to be available until the autumn of 2003. Yearly totals for Scotland are not comparable due to data being unavailable for different courts in different years.

  Value (£) of Fiscal Fines Outstanding at 31 March 2002

  


District Court 
  

Value Outstanding (£) 
  



Aberdeen City 
  

4,088 
  



Aberdeenshire 
  

1,411 
  



Angus 
  

3,215 
  



Argyll and Bute 
  

1,180 
  



Clackmannanshire 
  

1,088 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

9,620 
  



Dundee City 
  

11,408 
  



East Ayrshire 
  

7,350 
  



East Dunbartonshire 
  

1,377 
  



East Lothian 
  

732 
  



East Renfrewshire 
  

850 
  



Edinburgh, City of 
  

1,066 
  



Eilean Siar 
  

N/A 
  



Falkirk 
  

3,386 
  



Fife 
  

N/A 
  



Glasgow City 
  

96,504 
  



Highland 
  

4,967 
  



Inverclyde 
  

4,488 
  



Midlothian 
  

1,040 
  



Moray 
  

2,329 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

2,892 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

N/A 
  



Perth and Kinross 
  

11,842 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

5,228 
  



Scottish Borders 
  

4,677 
  



South Ayrshire 
  

5,606 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

37,411 
  



Stirling 
  

N/A 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

3,801 
  



West Lothian 
  

N/A 
  



Scotland 
  

227,553 
  



  Note:

  "N/A" denotes data not available.

Courts

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any decision has been made with regard to re-establishing a sheriff court in Peebles.

Cathy Jamieson: No.

Courts

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the public consultation on the provision of sheriff court services in Peebles will take place.

Cathy Jamieson: The public consultation in relation to delivery of court services in the Peebles area will commence when discussions between the Scottish Court Service, Scottish Borders Council and Lothian and Borders Police on the relocation of the court to council buildings at Rosetta Road, Peebles have concluded.

Courts

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether transferring sheriff court business arising in Penicuik from Edinburgh Sheriff Court to a sheriff court in Peebles has been considered.

Cathy Jamieson: No.

Courts

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on provision of legal services for Peebles and district if the sheriff court in Peebles is not re-established.

Cathy Jamieson: There is no information currently available on the future provision of legal services in Peebles. It is hoped that the on-going discussions between the Scottish Court Service, Scottish Borders Council and Lothian and Borders Police will culminate in court services being re-established in Peebles.

  If court services cannot be re-established in Peebles, provision of legal services could be considered as part of the consultation process on the delivery of court services.

Crime

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what minimum procedural safeguards for suspects and defendants in criminal proceedings it considers necessary as part of judicial co-operation in the European Union.

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what response it will make to the European Commission’s green paper, Procedural Safeguards for Suspects and Defendants in Criminal Proceedings throughout the European Union .

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will submit a response to the European Commission’s green paper on Procedural Safeguards for Suspects and Defendants in Criminal Proceedings throughout the European Union by the deadline of 15 May 2003 and, if so, whether it will publish that response.

Cathy Jamieson: The UK Government, on behalf of the UK as a whole, is considering the extent to which action at EU level on this issue is appropriate. The green paper published by the Commission on minimum procedural standards does not contain firm proposals for action but rather identifies certain basic rights and proposes a number of questions about the setting of standards in these areas.

  At the invitation of the UK Government, we submitted views to it on the issues raised in the green paper and understand that the Government will be making its response to the Commission shortly. It has undertaken to provide details of its response to the European Scrutiny Committee of both Houses of the Westminster Parliament and I will write to the member when these details are available.

Crime

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report on the discussion of minimum procedural safeguards for suspects and defendants in criminal proceedings at the Council of the European Union’s informal meeting on justice and home affairs held on 28 and 29 March 2003.

Cathy Jamieson: A report of the discussion at the informal Justice and Home Affairs Committee meeting, including the discussion of European Commission’s green paper on procedural safeguards in criminal proceedings, was given in the answer by the Home Secretary to a written parliamentary question from Mr Simon Hughes MP. The question and answer are contained in Hansard for 15 May at column 434W.

Crime

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to ensure that all countries of the European Union recognise an order made in Scotland for seizure of the proceeds of crime where there is no preceding criminal conviction.

Cathy Jamieson: The civil recovery scheme in the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 provides for the making of orders in Scotland in relation to moveable property outside Scotland.

  An interim administration order may require a person to whose property the order relates to bring that property to Scotland, or to do anything he or she is reasonably required to do by the interim administrator for the preservation of the property. The requirement may be made in relation to moveable property wherever situated. A person who does not comply may be found in contempt of court and liable to a fine or imprisonment or both.

Crime

Campbell Martin (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities should work with the police to "design out" crime, including measures such as the closure of footpaths and lanes that have become the location of loitering and anti-social behaviour where there is public support for such closures.

Hugh Henry: The Executive wrote to Chief Executives of local councils in January to alert them to the support it is giving to the national police initiative "Secured by Design", and asking them to lend their support to this very worthwhile initiative.

  The Executive is currently providing support to the initiative on two fronts; funding for publicity materials and other general support for the National Development Officer for Scotland, and for the salary costs of an Architectural Liaison Officer to the Glasgow Housing Association, exclusively for the purposes of promoting "Secured by Design" within the Glasgow housing stock transfer process.

  The Executive also issues to councils Planning Advice Note (PAN) 46, Planning for Crime Prevention, which advocates close liaison with the police on planning issues.

  Local authorities have powers under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 to stop-up or divert footpaths. Such powers, however, would normally only be used where it was necessary to do so and then only in order to enable development to be carried out.

Doctors

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what protection and support will be given to any doctor accused of negligence who had been required to work excessive hours.

Malcolm Chisholm: The New Deal is a contractual agreement between the trusts and junior doctors, designed to protect staff and patients. The Scottish Executive fully supports the New Deal, and our role is to encourage trusts to meet their contractual obligations.

  The Scottish Executive works in partnership with the BMA Scottish Junior Doctors Committee and NHS trust representatives on implementation of the New Deal.

Drug Misuse

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a national strategy for the delivery of drug detoxification, rehabilitation and throughcare and whether local provision of residential facilities forms part of that strategy.

Malcolm Chisholm: The provision of treatment and rehabilitation services is a key component of the Scottish Executive's integrated strategy, Tackling Drugs in Scotland : Action in Partnership . The Executive has supported the development of drug treatment services and rehabilitation facilities by providing additional funding of £13.1 million and £20.4 million respectively, over the three years from 2001-02. A Partnership for a Better Scotland  commits the Executive to reviewing the provision of drug rehabilitation across Scotland, and investing still further resources in drug treatment and rehabilitation services.

  The planning, design and delivery of local drugs services, including decisions on residential facilities, are the responsibility of Drug Action Teams (DATs) and their constituent partners. The DATs are required to report to the Executive on the range of drugs services in their area through the annual Corporate Action Plans.

Education

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what duties are implied by the requirement placed on the contractor to comply with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 as referred to in clause 59.7.1 of the Scottish Schools Standard PPP Contract.

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what obligations education authorities will have under the (a) Code of Practice on Government Information (1997) and (b) Freedom of Information Act 2002 as referred to in clause 59.7.2 of the Scottish Schools Standard PPP Contract.

Mr Andy Kerr: Education authorities should comply with the relevant Freedom of Information legislation and best practice on openness, and contractors should be obliged to facilitate that. This is the intention of this clause in the Scottish Schools Standard PPP Contract (SSSC).

  The references to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Code of Practice on Government Information (1997) in the SSSC will be amended shortly to take account of the Freedom of Information legislation that will apply in Scotland.

Education

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Schools Standard PPP Contract will be amended to take account of the Public Private Partnerships in Scotland Protocol and Guidance Concerning Employment Issues .

Mr Andy Kerr: An amendment to the Scottish Schools Standard PPP Contract is planned for the summer and will incorporate the relevant obligations on contractors arising from the Scottish Executive/Scottish Trade Union Congress Staffing Protocol.

Elections

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with local authorities about any payment of bonuses to local authority chief executives who acted as returning officers in the local authority and Scottish Parliament elections on 1 May 2003.

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has received about any bonuses being paid to local authority chief executives who acted as returning officers in the local authority and Scottish Parliament elections on 1 May 2003.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive has not had any discussions with local authorities or received any information about payments of bonuses to returning officers at the local government elections on 1 May 2003. The conduct and funding of parliamentary elections is reserved to the UK Government.

Emergency Services

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans have been made to ensure that the emergency services are able to communicate with people with hearing impairment.

Cathy Jamieson: All the emergency services take seriously communication with people with hearing impairment and are taking a range of steps to improve accessibility to the services they provide.

  In support of the provisions in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and other legislation, the Scottish Executive endorsed the publication in 2002 of The Scottish Translation, Interpreting and Communications Forum – Good Practice Guidelines, for use by public bodies, including the emergency services. A Partnership for a Better Scotland also contains commitments "to introduce a national language strategy to guide the development and support of Scotland's languages, including British Sign Language and ethnic community languages" and to "give local authorities and other public bodies a responsibility to draw up a languages plan which reflects the communities they serve".

  Examples of measures which the emergency services have in place include:

  Equipment in police main operations rooms that allow those with hearing impairment to contact their local force by typing enquiries on a telephone keypad - the service is advertised in local telephone directories. Forces can also be contacted via the internet using the national policing portal. The roll-out of a single non-emergency telephone number across Scotland will allow people to send text messages to a force using a single number.

  Induction loops in public access areas of police stations for those with hearing aids.

  Training, as appropriate, for police officers and support staff in the use of sign language, with one force issuing cards portraying the "sign" alphabet.

  Liaison between fire brigades and community and special needs groups about the availability of smoke alarms with vibrating pads and flashing lights. Brigades also provide fire safety literature on specialist alarms on request as well as contact points for specialist agencies who supply and fit such alarms.

Environment

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate the continuing issue of sewage escaping into the River Dee around Banchory.

Ross Finnie: This is a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) rather than the Scottish Executive.

  I understand that SEPA is aware of occasional intermittent instances of untreated sewage being discharged into the River Dee. Each reported incident is investigated by SEPA.

  SEPA will continue to proactively control sewage discharges to the River Dee and react promptly to reported incidents, taking action in accordance with its enforcement policy and available statutory powers.

Environment

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what decision-making powers and responsibilities it would lose under the current European Union proposals on better market access to environmental services.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive will not lose decision-making powers or responsibilities In respect of environmental services with regard to the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS).

  The regulation of international trade is a reserved matter and as such the UK Government takes the lead. However, the Scottish Executive maintains close contact with DTI and other UK Government Departments on trade issues, including GATS, and how they may impact on the Executive’s responsibilities.

European Working Time Directive

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24605 by Mrs Mary Mulligan on 23 April 2002, when the study on the impact and resource implications of the working time regulations on the NHS will be complete.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Partnership Working Group carried out a detailed study looking at the wider HR aspects of the working time regulations, their impact on staff groups in NHSScotland and their resource implications for the service. The report, which included a framework employers could use to assess the impact of regulations, was published in February 2003 under cover of NHS HDL (2003) 3.

European Working Time Directive

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to discuss with the royal colleges how the impact on patient care of implementing the working time regulations in the NHS can be minimised.

Malcolm Chisholm: The working time regulations currently apply to all NHS staff, except doctors in training, who will start to come under the terms of the regulations from August 2004.

  On 4 April 2003, the Scottish Executive Health Department hosted a meeting of key stakeholders which representatives from trusts, Scottish Junior Doctors Committee and the Royal Colleges were invited to attend. The stakeholders engaged in a one-day facilitated discussion exercise, which encouraged the sharing of views and ideas about achieving compliance with the New Deal for junior doctors and working time regulations. A report of the findings on the day has been produced and will be circulated to all key stakeholders including the Royal Colleges.

Fire Service

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to HM Inspector of Fire Services and the Health and Safety Executive in relation to proposals to close 42 fire auxiliary units in the Highland Council area

Hugh Henry: None – Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Fire Services in Scotland provides professional advice to Scottish ministers.

Fire Service

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the retention of auxiliary fire stations in the Highlands and Islands and, if so, what support is planned for them.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what commitment it has to the future inclusion of voluntary firefighters in the firefighter service in the Highlands and Islands.

Hugh Henry: I refer the member to the answers given to questions S2W-2 today and S2W-3 on 20 May 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search ..

Fire Service

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration is being given to the establishment of a full-time fire station in Penicuik to provide fire cover for the increase in population in the area.

Hugh Henry: This is a matter for Lothian and Borders Fire Board.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications there have been for the fisheries rates relief package.

Mr Andy Kerr: Applications for rates relief are made to local authorities. The information requested is not held centrally.

Fisheries

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will next meet representatives of the fish processing industry.

Ross Finnie: The Executive frequently meets with representatives of the fish processing industry and I intend to meet with the Scottish Fishmerchants’ Federation Ltd in the near future.

Further Education

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what social inclusion funding was available for further education (FE) colleges in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02 and (d) 2002-03.

Mr Jim Wallace: Figures across the whole of the time period requested are not available on a consistent basis. This is because the method of funding FE colleges changed when responsibility for the methodology transferred to the Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC) from 2000-01.

  Because of the fundamental role that FE colleges have in encouraging people of all ages and from different backgrounds to participate in post-school learning, a large proportion of the resources made available to FE colleges by SFEFC are associated in some way with the promotion of social inclusion. The Scottish Executive expects SFEFC to exercise its the judgement and expertise in allocating the resources placed at its disposal, and does not instruct SFEFC on the proportion of funding which must be applied to social inclusion initiatives.

  The figures in the following table show, from 2000-01, the sums which SFEFC made available to further education colleges to cover the additional costs of social inclusion over and above the standard funding per student place.

  


Year 
  

£ 
  



2000-01 
  

5,208,896 
  



2001-02 
  

9,891,576 
  



2002-03 
  

10,986,126 
  



  Source: Scottish Further Education Funding Council.

Further Education

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been received by each further education college for social inclusion in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02 and (d) 2002-03.

Mr Jim Wallace: Figures across the time period requested are not available on a consistent basis. This is because the method of funding further education (FE) colleges changed when responsibility for the methodology responsibility transferred to the Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC) from 2000-01.

  Because of the fundamental role that FE colleges have in encouraging people of all ages and from different backgrounds to participate in post-school learning, a large proportion of the resources available to FE colleges are associated in some way with the promotion of social inclusion. However, the amounts cannot be determined separately.

  The figures provided in the following table relate to the specific elements that cover the additional costs of social inclusion over and above the standard funding per student place.

  


College 
  

2000-01 
  

2001-02 
  

2002-03 
  



Aberdeen College 
  

£115,257 
  

£279,914 
  

£313,326 
  



Angus College* 
  

£72,942 
  

£97,586 
  

£105,396 
  



Anniesland College 
  

£256,365 
  

£504,858 
  

£530,400 
  



Ayr College 
  

£82,338 
  

£194,423 
  

£228,091 
  



Banff and Buchan College of Further Education* 
  

£87,403 
  

£109,942 
  

£115,083 
  



The Barony College* 
  

£27,636 
  

£24,557 
  

£24,486 
  



Borders College* 
  

£101,806 
  

£92,915 
  

£95,721 
  



Cardonald College 
  

£256,339 
  

£507,839 
  

£549,134 
  



Central College of Commerce 
  

£134,295 
  

£312,708 
  

£383,692 
  



Clackmannan College of Further Education 
  

£39,253 
  

£71,797 
  

£71,157 
  



Clydebank College 
  

£210,907 
  

£352,497 
  

£362,290 
  



Coatbridge College 
  

£120,543 
  

£249,642 
  

£277,925 
  



Cumbernauld College 
  

£25,657 
  

£60,515 
  

£85,598 
  



Dumfries and Galloway College* 
  

£116,836 
  

£186,400 
  

£177,781 
  



Dundee College 
  

£270,339 
  

£522,863 
  

£607,668 
  



Edinburgh's Telford College 
  

£198,813 
  

£395,741 
  

£436,261 
  



Elmwood College* 
  

£57,231 
  

£83,227 
  

£100,560 
  



Falkirk College of Further and Higher Education 
  

£92,192 
  

£181,450 
  

£207,886 
  



Fife College of Further and Higher Education 
  

£112,473 
  

£244,891 
  

£266,292 
  



Glasgow College of Building and Printing 
  

£139,200 
  

£313,173 
  

£356,887 
  



Glasgow College of Food Technology 
  

£91,455 
  

£273,557 
  

£258,752 
  



Glasgow College of Nautical Studies 
  

£119,644 
  

£208,757 
  

£250,934 
  



Glenrothes College 
  

£32,944 
  

£80,217 
  

£94,603 
  



Inverness College*@ 
  

£101,968 
  

£109,356 
  

£155,683 
  



James Watt College of Further and Higher Education 
  

£281,725 
  

£771,276 
  

£781,620 
  



Jewel and Esk Valley College 
  

£79,881 
  

£151,101 
  

£164,458 
  



John Wheatley College 
  

£272,332 
  

£342,172 
  

£406,437 
  



Kilmarnock College 
  

£87,962 
  

£227,707 
  

£255,300 
  



Langside College 
  

£179,501 
  

£387,034 
  

£433,678 
  



Lauder College 
  

£50,681 
  

£104,890 
  

£144,578 
  



Lews Castle College***@ 
  

£22,902 
  

£36,692 
  

£50,081 
  



Moray College*@ 
  

£113,740 
  

£90,427 
  

£85,099 
  



Motherwell College 
  

£211,157 
  

£445,416 
  

£528,230 
  



North Glasgow College 
  

£114,838 
  

£311,894 
  

£385,984 
  



Oatridge Agricultural College* 
  

£36,080 
  

£31,980 
  

£37,288 
  



Perth College*@ 
  

£121,624 
  

£117,203 
  

£130,414 
  



Reid Kerr College 
  

£204,736 
  

£473,557 
  

£506,320 
  



South Lanarkshire College 
  

£52,604 
  

£108,815 
  

£112,477 
  



Stevenson College 
  

£174,005 
  

£350,942 
  

£309,010 
  



Stow College 
  

£153,122 
  

£248,674 
  

£301,584 
  



The North Highland College**@ 
  

£92,156 
  

£98,087 
  

£131,785 
  



West Lothian College 
  

£33,116 
  

£73,292 
  

£95,256 
  



Orkney College***@ 
  

£46,461 
  

£48,282 
  

£61,181 
  



Shetland College of Further Education***@ 
  

£16,434 
  

£13,311 
  

£9,743 
  



  Source: Scottish Further Education Funding Council

  Notes:

  1. These figures consist of the entry costs social inclusion premium; retention and achievement social inclusion premium, and remote student element part of the core formula funding provided to colleges by SFEFC. (NOTE - in 2000-01 the retention and achievement premium did not exist.)

  2. In addition to the figures shown above, colleges in receipt of the remote student element also received a remote institutional based element at a base rate of £176,000 for 2000-01, £178,640 for 2001-02 and £183,999 for 2002-03 (rising to £191,359 in 2003-04). Mainland colleges that are classed as extremely remote received a 15% increase on this base rate and island colleges received a 30% increase. Remote colleges are marked*, extremely remote**, and island colleges***

  3. Colleges marked @ are part of the UHI Millennium Institute (UMI). From 2001-02 their advanced level activity was no longer funded via SFEFC and was instead funded via SHEFC as part of UMI. Therefore the figures for these colleges are not stated on a comparable basis for 2000-01 and 2001-02.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the number of specialist training places in dermatology is being reviewed and, if so, whether any consideration is being given to increasing the number of such places to provide qualified candidates for any existing consultant vacancies and for any future consultant posts that may be needed over the next 10 years.

Malcolm Chisholm: The numbers of higher specialist training posts (i.e. Specialist Registrars) in all specialties are regularly reviewed and adjusted. In 2000 there were 15.3 (whole-time equivalent) Specialist Registrars in dermatology; in 2002 there were 19.8. Decisions on the numbers required in training are informed by anticipated turnover, service need and local service developments. We are reviewing the arrangements for medical workforce planning so that decisions are better informed and taken in a proper context. The Scottish Executive has committed to 375 more junior doctors by 2004 and 600 more consultants by 2006.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider providing core dermatology education for all medical and nursing undergraduates.

Malcolm Chisholm: The responsibility for determining the educational requirements for all medical and nursing undergraduates rests with the General Medical Council (GMC) for medical undergraduates and the Nursing and Midwifery Council for nursing undergraduates.

  These professional bodies decide the standard of expertise to be maintained, in partnership with the higher education institutions, and their advice underpins the content of the courses.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether education and training in dermatology that reflect the workload of GPs in respect of that condition is offered by the NHS.

Malcolm Chisholm: Education and training in dermatology is currently offered by the NHS to GPs. At present, general practitioners are expected to identify their own personal learning needs to better provide the health needs of their patients and to seek training accordingly. Guidance and assistance is available to GPs from NHS Education for Scotland (NES) via the Postgraduate Directors of General Practice Education.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will respond to the rise in cases of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR).

Malcolm Chisholm: As a result of increases in the reported cases of measles, mumps and rubella in 2002 the Executive will continue to work with health professionals to reinforce the importance of vaccination, and the protection it provides to individuals and the population as a whole.

  Expert advice from around the world confirms that MMR remains the most effective way to protect children from these very serious, and potentially fatal, diseases.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider making single vaccines for mumps, measles and rubella available on the NHS as an alternative to the triple MMR vaccine.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive has no such plans.

Hospitals

Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make a decision on the business case for a new hospital and health centre in St Andrews.

Malcolm Chisholm: Fife Primary Care NHS Trust is currently working on the Outline Business Case (OBC) for the St Andrews Community Hospital and Primary Care Resource Centre. It is anticipated that the OBC will be submitted within the next two months. A response will normally be issued within four weeks of receipt of the OBC.

Hospitals

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will produce a standard contract for hospital public private partnerships.

Malcolm Chisholm: A standard form contract for use in NHSScotland is currently under development and will be published shortly.

Income

Mr Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to close the gap in economic growth rates between Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Mr Jim Wallace: Growing the economy is our top priority and we outlined our overarching approach in the Framework for Economic Development . Our Enterprise Strategy, A Smart, Successful Scotland , is crucial in delivering this, giving strategic direction to the Enterprise Networks (Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise) and highlighting the priority areas in which Scotland must succeed to maximise our sustainable economic growth over the medium- and long-term. The differing shares of individual sectors within the Scottish and UK economies mean that the two growth rates will often diverge as the various sectors perform differently - Scottish GDP grew faster than that of the UK in each year between 1989 and 1993. As the electrical and instrument engineering accounts for a larger share of Scottish GDP than in the UK as a whole, the recent global downturn and restructuring in this sector had a greater impact on the Scottish Economy in 2002.

Income

Mr Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to close the gap in average weekly incomes between Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive is committed to pursuing an approach to achieving sustainable economic development based upon the strategic priorities contained in A Smart, Successful Scotland .   This includes improving productivity and competitiveness to enhance the long-term growth rate of the Scottish economy, to generate greater prosperity and employment and reduce poverty. The Executive and the Enterprise Networks measure the performance of Scottish industry in improving competitiveness relative to other Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development countries including the UK and seek to learn lessons from these comparisons.

Income

Mr Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a target date by which average weekly incomes in Scotland will converge with those in the rest of the UK and, if so, what that date is

Mr Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a target date by which average weekly incomes in the Highlands and Islands will converge with those in the rest of Scotland and, if so, what that date is.

Mr Jim Wallace: No.

Income

Mr Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to close the gap in average weekly incomes between the Highlands and Islands and the rest of Scotland.

Mr Jim Wallace: Highlands and Islands Enterprise is charged with pursuing the strategic priorities for economic development contained in A Smart, Successful Scotland .   These priorities include improving productivity and competitiveness to enhance the long-term growth rate of the economy of the Highlands and Islands, to generate greater prosperity and employment and reduce poverty.

Industry

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of manufacturing output was in each month of (a) 1996-97 and (b) 2002-03.

Mr Jim Wallace: Statistics on manufacturing output are not available on a monthly basis. The following table details the quarterly index of Gross Value Added (GVA) in the manufacturing sector between 1996 and 2002.

  Statistics on the cash value of manufacturing output are not available on a quarterly basis. The latest available estimate is from the Scottish Production Database and is for 2000. According to this source, gross value added in the manufacturing sector was £11.2 billion and turnover was £41.1 billion.

  Scottish Manufacturing Gross Value Added at Basic Prices (1995=100)

  


Year 
  

Quarter 
  

Index 
  



1996 
  

Q1 
  

100.9 
  



Q2 
  

102.1 
  



Q3 
  

103.0 
  



Q4 
  

105.3 
  



1997 
  

Q1 
  

105.7 
  



Q2 
  

109.0 
  



Q3 
  

108.6 
  



Q4 
  

111.3 
  



1998 
  

Q1 
  

111.9 
  



Q2 
  

110.9 
  



Q3 
  

110.8 
  



Q4 
  

112.1 
  



1999 
  

Q1 
  

112.7 
  



Q2 
  

114.0 
  



Q3 
  

115.4 
  



Q4 
  

115.5 
  



2000 
  

Q1 
  

116.6 
  



Q2 
  

116.2 
  



Q3 
  

115.4 
  



Q4 
  

114.3 
  



2001 
  

Q1 
  

110.5 
  



Q2 
  

109.3 
  



Q3 
  

104.3 
  



Q4 
  

99.3 
  



2002 
  

Q1 
  

95.0 
  



Q2 
  

94.3 
  



Q3 
  

92.7 
  



Q4 
  

91.2 
  



  Note:

  Index is in constant 1995 prices.

Junior Doctors

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much each NHS trust spent in 2002-03 on paying consultants to cover junior doctors’ shifts and how this compares to the cost had the shifts been covered by junior doctors.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally.

Junior Doctors

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS operations were cancelled in 2002-03 as a result of a consultant being unavailable through having covered a junior doctor’s shift the previous night.

Malcolm Chisholm: Information on the number of operations cancelled by NHSScotland for the reasons asked is not available. However, data is collected centrally on the number of planned admissions to hospital for in-patient/day case treatment (including non-surgical treatment) which are cancelled. In 2001-02 the number of cancelled planned admissions by NHSScotland was 15,572.

Junior Doctors

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS trusts are on course to meet the proposed 56-hour week for junior doctors by August 2003.

Malcolm Chisholm: The latest compliance figures are shown in the following table:

  August 2002 - Compliance Figures (Scotland)

  


Trust 
  

PRHO 
  

SHO 
  

SpR 
  

Other 
  

Total 
  



Posts 
  

Comp% 
  

Posts 
  

Comp % 
  

Posts 
  

Comp % 
  

Posts 
  

Comp% 
  

Posts 
  

Comp 
  

Comp% 
  



Argyll and Clyde 
  

51 
  

100% 
  

133 
  

43% 
  

23 
  

52% 
  

17 
  

12% 
  

224 
  

122 
  

54% 
  



Ayrshire Acute 
  

36 
  

100% 
  

130 
  

21% 
  

18 
  

17% 
  

23 
  

13% 
  

207 
  

69 
  

33% 
  



Ayrshire PC 
  
 
 

15 
  

100% 
  
 
 
 
 

15 
  

15 
  

100% 
  



Borders Acute 
  

15 
  

93% 
  

29.6 
  

7% 
  

10 
  

10% 
  

7 
  

29% 
  

61.6 
  

19 
  

31% 
  



Borders PC 
  
 
 

6 
  

100% 
  
 
 

6 
  

100% 
  

12 
  

12 
  

100% 
  



Carstairs 
  
 
 

9 
  

100% 
  
 
 
 
 

9 
  

9 
  

100% 
  



CSA 
  
 
 
 
 

9 
  

56% 
  
 
 

9 
  

5 
  

56% 
  



DandG Acute 
  

19 
  

100% 
  

38 
  

71% 
  

9 
  

33% 
  

6 
  

33% 
  

72 
  

51 
  

71% 
  



DandG PC 
  
 
 

11.5 
  

100% 
  
 
 
 
 

11.5 
  

11.5 
  

100% 
  



Fife Acute 
  

32 
  

50% 
  

100 
  

24% 
  

22 
  

14% 
  
 
 

154 
  

43 
  

28% 
  



Fife PC 
  
 
 

22 
  

100% 
  
 
 
 
 

22 
  

22 
  

100% 
  



Forth Valley 
  

39 
  

100% 
  

83 
  

0% 
  

19 
  

16% 
  

12 
  

25% 
  

153 
  

45 
  

29% 
  



Forth Valley PC 
  
 
 

16 
  

100% 
  
 
 
 
 

16 
  

16 
  

100% 
  



Grampian PC 
  

2 
  

100% 
  

30 
  

100% 
  

17 
  

100% 
  

1 
  

100% 
  

50 
  

50 
  

100% 
  



Grampian Acute 
  

99 
  

55% 
  

219 
  

32% 
  

145.2 
  

51% 
  

33 
  

30% 
  

496.2 
  

207.2 
  

42% 
  



GGPC 
  
 
 

68 
  

60% 
  

23 
  

70% 
  
 
 

91 
  

57 
  

63% 
  



Highland Acute 
  

30 
  

100% 
  

64 
  

39% 
  

23 
  

4% 
  

14 
  

50% 
  

131 
  

63 
  

48% 
  



Highland HB 
  
 
 

1 
  

100% 
  

1 
  

100% 
  
 
 

2 
  

2 
  

100% 
  



Highland PC 
  
 
 

9 
  

0% 
  
 
 

1 
  

100% 
  

10 
  

1 
  

10% 
  



Lanark Acute 
  

59 
  

68% 
  

204 
  

64% 
  

32 
  

56% 
  

4 
  

100% 
  

299 
  

193 
  

65% 
  



Lanark HB 
  
 
 
 
 

3 
  

100% 
  
 
 

3 
  

3 
  

100% 
  



Lanark PC 
  
 
 

45 
  

91% 
  

4 
  

75% 
  

4 
  

75% 
  

53 
  

47 
  

89% 
  



Lomond/
Argyll 
  
 
 

11 
  

82% 
  
 
 

3 
  

0% 
  

14 
  

9 
  

64% 
  



Lothian HB 
  
 
 
 
 

2 
  

100% 
  
 
 

2 
  

2 
  

100% 
  



Lothian PC 
  
 
 

55 
  

33% 
  

26 
  

96% 
  

49 
  

100% 
  

130 
  

92 
  

71% 
  



Lothian Univ 
  

101 
  

62% 
  

219 
  

35% 
  

265.5 
  

44% 
  

36.6 
  

40% 
  

622.1 
  

271.6 
  

44% 
  



North Glasgow 
  

115 
  

100% 
  

357 
  

32% 
  

248.6 
  

39% 
  

49 
  

53% 
  

769.6 
  

352 
  

46% 
  



Renfrew/
Inver PC 
  
 
 

16 
  

100% 
  
 
 

1 
  

100% 
  

17 
  

17 
  

100% 
  



Shetland HB 
  

1 
  

100% 
  

4 
  

100% 
  
 
 
 
 

5 
  

5 
  

100% 
  



South Glasgow 
  

48 
  

44% 
  

160 
  

40% 
  

90 
  

43% 
  

4 
  

100% 
  

302 
  

128 
  

42% 
  



Tayside PC 
  

2.5 
  

100% 
  

40 
  

33% 
  

6 
  

67% 
  

10 
  

90% 
  

58.5 
  

28.5 
  

49% 
  



Tayside Univ 
  

96 
  

98% 
  

163 
  

42% 
  

156 
  

37% 
  

32.6 
  

15% 
  

447.6 
  

225 
  

50% 
  



Yorkhill 
  

8 
  

100% 
  

74 
  

77% 
  

46.2 
  

63% 
  

2 
  

50% 
  

130.2 
  

95.2 
  

73% 
  



West Lothian 
  

23 
  

100% 
  

48.5 
  

23% 
  

26 
  

12% 
  

6 
  

67% 
  

103.5 
  

41 
  

40% 
  



Western Isles 
  

2 
  

100% 
  

8 
  

100% 
  
 
 
 
 

10 
  

10 
  

100% 
  



August 2002 
  

778.5 
  

81% 
  

2388.6 
  

41% 
  

1224.5 
  

41% 
  

321.2 
  

47% 
  

4712.8 
  

2339 
  

50% 
  



February 2002 
  

747.5 
  

87% 
  

2303 
  

38% 
  

1182.5 
  

42% 
  

323.6 
  

49% 
  

4556.6 
  

2207.5 
  

48% 
  



August 2001 
  

771.5 
  

64% 
  

2396 
  

38% 
  

1209.5 
  

43% 
  

282.6 
  

38% 
  

4659.6 
  

2052 
  

44% 
  



  Note:

  Figures extracted from the Implementation Support Group 2003 Annual Report.

Licensing

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Nicholson Committee review on licensing laws will be published.

Hugh Henry: An announcement will be made shortly.

Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many recorded offences there have been under sections (a) 68(1), (b) 68(2), (c) 68(3), (d) 68(5), (e) 69(1), (f) 69(2) and (g) 70(1) of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976 in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Cathy Jamieson: The available information is given in the following tables.

  The tables give information separately for sections 68(1), 68(2) and 68(3) of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976. However, information on sections 68(5), 69(1), 69(2) and 70(1) cannot be separately distinguished as crimes recorded by the police under these sections are given the same crime classification as crimes under other legislation.

  Offences Recorded by the Police Under Section 68(1) of the Licensing Scotland Act 1976, 1997 to 2001

  


Local Authority Area 
  

1997 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  

2000 
  

2001 
  



Scotland 
  

385 
  

237 
  

195 
  

179 
  

292 
  



Aberdeen City 
  

6 
  

14 
  

10 
  

14 
  

22 
  



Aberdeenshire 
  

17 
  

24 
  

18 
  

14 
  

16 
  



Angus 
  

5 
  

8 
  

2 
  

0 
  

2 
  



Argyll and Bute 
  

9 
  

1 
  

9 
  

8 
  

6 
  



Clackmannanshire 
  

2 
  

6 
  

0 
  

2 
  

5 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

16 
  

14 
  

23 
  

1 
  

1 
  



Dundee City 
  

21 
  

4 
  

1 
  

8 
  

6 
  



East Ayrshire 
  

8 
  

3 
  

2 
  

9 
  

3 
  



East Dunbartonshire 
  

18 
  

6 
  

6 
  

4 
  

20 
  



East Lothian 
  

2 
  

1 
  

1 
  

3 
  

6 
  



East Renfrewshire 
  

5 
  

5 
  

1 
  

9 
  

4 
  



Edinburgh, City of 
  

12 
  

7 
  

7 
  

1 
  

11 
  



Eilean Siar 
  

7 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

1 
  



Falkirk 
  

10 
  

5 
  

1 
  

3 
  

34 
  



Fife 
  

40 
  

28 
  

19 
  

7 
  

13 
  



Glasgow City 
  

56 
  

22 
  

23 
  

33 
  

18 
  



Highland 
  

13 
  

13 
  

14 
  

29 
  

23 
  



Inverclyde 
  

3 
  

1 
  

0 
  

6 
  

4 
  



Midlothian 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

6 
  



Moray 
  

2 
  

2 
  

15 
  

3 
  

7 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

14 
  

16 
  

6 
  

0 
  

2 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

13 
  

4 
  

1 
  

4 
  

6 
  



Orkney Islands 
  

1 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Perth and Kinross 
  

17 
  

4 
  

9 
  

1 
  

1 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

5 
  

5 
  

0 
  

0 
  

5 
  



Scottish Borders 
  

22 
  

11 
  

2 
  

0 
  

10 
  



Shetland Islands 
  

1 
  

0 
  

0 
  

3 
  

2 
  



South Ayrshire 
  

18 
  

5 
  

1 
  

11 
  

7 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

16 
  

8 
  

13 
  

3 
  

14 
  



Stirling 
  

5 
  

7 
  

3 
  

0 
  

14 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

9 
  

5 
  

8 
  

0 
  

5 
  



West Lothian 
  

12 
  

8 
  

0 
  

3 
  

18 
  



  Offences Recorded by the Police Under Section 68(2) of the Licensing Scotland Act 1976, 1997 to 2001

  


Local Authority Area 
  

1997 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  

2000 
  

2001 
  



Scotland 
  

185 
  

80 
  

99 
  

72 
  

96 
  



Aberdeen City 
  

1 
  

0 
  

2 
  

1 
  

2 
  



Aberdeenshire 
  

8 
  

3 
  

10 
  

6 
  

9 
  



Angus 
  

10 
  

6 
  

1 
  

2 
  

3 
  



Argyll and Bute 
  

2 
  

1 
  

13 
  

7 
  

6 
  



Clackmannanshire 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

1 
  

3 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

5 
  

2 
  

3 
  

0 
  

1 
  



Dundee City 
  

12 
  

6 
  

2 
  

3 
  

2 
  



East Ayrshire 
  

4 
  

1 
  

1 
  

2 
  

0 
  



East Dunbartonshire 
  

10 
  

1 
  

3 
  

2 
  

5 
  



East Lothian 
  

0 
  

0 
  

1 
  

0 
  

5 
  



East Renfrewshire 
  

3 
  

1 
  

0 
  

4 
  

3 
  



Edinburgh, City of 
  

1 
  

0 
  

2 
  

1 
  

1 
  



Eilean Siar 
  

4 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

1 
  



Falkirk 
  

0 
  

2 
  

1 
  

0 
  

9 
  



Fife 
  

11 
  

4 
  

5 
  

3 
  

2 
  



Glasgow City 
  

37 
  

11 
  

8 
  

6 
  

6 
  



Highland 
  

12 
  

12 
  

4 
  

14 
  

8 
  



Inverclyde 
  

2 
  

4 
  

0 
  

0 
  

1 
  



Midlothian 
  

1 
  

0 
  

1 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Moray 
  

4 
  

1 
  

4 
  

2 
  

5 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

3 
  

6 
  

2 
  

1 
  

3 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

2 
  

0 
  

4 
  

0 
  

3 
  



Orkney Islands 
  

1 
  

1 
  

2 
  

0 
  

1 
  



Perth and Kinross 
  

13 
  

5 
  

16 
  

1 
  

1 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

7 
  

1 
  

0 
  

5 
  

0 
  



Scottish Borders 
  

5 
  

4 
  

3 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Shetland Islands 
  

2 
  

1 
  

0 
  

3 
  

1 
  



South Ayrshire 
  

8 
  

1 
  

0 
  

6 
  

4 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

7 
  

0 
  

8 
  

1 
  

3 
  



Stirling 
  

3 
  

3 
  

1 
  

1 
  

3 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

2 
  

2 
  

2 
  

0 
  

0 
  



West Lothian 
  

5 
  

1 
  

0 
  

0 
  

5 
  



  Offences Recorded by the Police Under Section 68(3) of the Licensing Scotland Act 1976, 1997 to 2001

  


Local Authority Area 
  

1997 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  

2000 
  

2001 
  



Scotland 
  

347 
  

215 
  

144 
  

161 
  

209 
  



Aberdeen City 
  

6 
  

2 
  

6 
  

6 
  

5 
  



Aberdeenshire 
  

10 
  

5 
  

5 
  

5 
  

6 
  



Angus 
  

31 
  

16 
  

3 
  

5 
  

8 
  



Argyll and Bute 
  

7 
  

10 
  

16 
  

14 
  

12 
  



Clackmannanshire 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

4 
  

4 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

46 
  

17 
  

2 
  

4 
  

9 
  



Dundee City 
  

10 
  

7 
  

3 
  

7 
  

19 
  



East Ayrshire 
  

5 
  

2 
  

2 
  

7 
  

5 
  



East Dunbartonshire 
  

4 
  

7 
  

3 
  

3 
  

9 
  



East Lothian 
  

0 
  

1 
  

2 
  

2 
  

3 
  



East Renfrewshire 
  

4 
  

1 
  

1 
  

3 
  

2 
  



Edinburgh, City of 
  

2 
  

0 
  

1 
  

0 
  

1 
  



Eilean Siar 
  

11 
  

2 
  

2 
  

2 
  

0 
  



Falkirk 
  

3 
  

1 
  

3 
  

1 
  

9 
  



Fife 
  

14 
  

10 
  

7 
  

6 
  

12 
  



Glasgow City 
  

49 
  

31 
  

11 
  

28 
  

24 
  



Highland 
  

29 
  

30 
  

19 
  

17 
  

23 
  



Inverclyde 
  

0 
  

1 
  

2 
  

4 
  

2 
  



Midlothian 
  

0 
  

2 
  

1 
  

1 
  

2 
  



Moray 
  

4 
  

5 
  

2 
  

4 
  

8 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

10 
  

13 
  

4 
  

2 
  

5 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

12 
  

2 
  

4 
  

2 
  

1 
  



Orkney Islands 
  

7 
  

1 
  

4 
  

6 
  

5 
  



Perth and Kinross 
  

24 
  

8 
  

6 
  

2 
  

3 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

5 
  

2 
  

3 
  

2 
  

2 
  



Scottish Borders 
  

16 
  

11 
  

6 
  

4 
  

8 
  



Shetland Islands 
  

0 
  

1 
  

0 
  

3 
  

0 
  



South Ayrshire 
  

16 
  

8 
  

5 
  

3 
  

8 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

11 
  

6 
  

12 
  

10 
  

1 
  



Stirling 
  

5 
  

3 
  

3 
  

0 
  

4 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

4 
  

6 
  

0 
  

4 
  

4 
  



West Lothian 
  

2 
  

4 
  

6 
  

0 
  

5

Local Government

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will next meet (a) Aberdeenshire Council and (b) Aberdeen City Council.

Mr Andy Kerr: We have no plans to meet at present. However, I met with both councils during 2002 and would be happy to consider requests to meet again.

Local Government Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce legislation to confer powers on local authorities to enable them to determine whether the existing 50% council tax discount for holiday homes should be removed in whole or in part and in respect of specific types of property; if so, whether it will enable local authorities to retain the additional revenue yielded, and what the cumulative total of revenue forgone in council tax receipts as a result of the 50% discount has been in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority.

Tavish Scott: We are giving careful consideration to the responses received to the recent consultation on council tax for second and long-term empty homes. Information on the number of second homes in each local authority is not held centrally.

Marine Environment

Campbell Martin (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports seabed regeneration, enabling the natural regeneration of marine life on the seabed in specifically identified areas.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive is committed to the sustainable management of Scotland’s marine environment. A number of initiatives are already under way to help deliver that objective, which will support seabed regeneration. These include the development of a Scottish biodiversity strategy; the development of a management framework for Scotland’s marine environment, and the recently published strategic framework for Scottish aquaculture. We are working, with the UK Government where appropriate, to identify marine Special Areas of Conservation under the EU Habitats Directives; and we support the ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management under the revised Common Fisheries Policy. For the future, the Partnership Agreement makes clear that we plan to consult on the best strategy for protecting and enhancing all of Scotland’s coastline, including the options of establishing a national coastline park and marine national parks.

  At a local level, the Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST) has been developing proposals for a nature conservation reserve in Lamlash Bay. COAST met with the Scottish Executive last year to discuss these proposals and held a public meeting on them last August. Although there has been no recent contact, we are happy to continue discussions with COAST.

Mental Health

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many child psychologists are employed in each NHS board and local authority area.

Malcolm Chisholm: Data on child psychology specialists in the NHS has not in the past been routinely collected. However, a special study has been made of the contribution that is made by clinical psychologists and the following table shows the headcount of NHS employed psychologists working with children, young people and families by board as at 30 September 2002. These data are provisional and final figures are due for publication later this year in a forthcoming report by the Clinical Psychology Workforce Planning Group.

  


Health Board 
  

Headcount as at 30 September 2002 
  



Argyll and Clyde 
  

6 
  



Ayrshire and Arran 
  

8 
  



Borders 
  

4 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

2 
  



Fife 
  

11 
  



Forth Valley 
  

7 
  



Grampian 
  

12 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

36 
  



Highland 
  

4 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

1 
  



Lothian 
  

13 
  



Orkney 
  

0 
  



Shetland 
  

0 
  



Tayside 
  

3 
  



Western Isles 
  

0 
  



Total 
  

107 
  



  Information on child psychologists employed by local authorities is not held centrally.

Mental Health

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children were referred to child psychologists in each year since 1999.

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children have been referred to child psychologists by (a) GPs, (b) care homes and (c) any other method of referral in each year since 1999

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally. However, the Improving Mental Health Information Programme of NHSScotland Information and Statistics Division (ISD) is working with agencies to improve access to nationally consistent information and to explore ways of closing such information gaps. Further information is available on the ISD website:

  www.show.scot.nhs.uk/isd/mental_health/mhipbase.htm.

  The recently published NHS Health Scotland SNAP review of child and adolescent mental health services has provided a timely foundation on which to base development of support for children with mental health problems. The Scottish Executive Health Department has asked the national advisory Child Health Support Group to work with the NHS and partner agencies to act on the findings and implement recommendations in that report. Partnership for Care also confirmed that early attention will be given to the development of the child and adolescent mental health workforce.

  The Scottish Executive is also working with NHS Education for Scotland to increase training capacity for clinical psychologists as part of a broader programme with NHSScotland to assess and reshape psychology services to meet local demand.

Mental Health

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies there are for child psychologists in each NHS board and local authority area.

Malcolm Chisholm: Data on child psychology specialists in the NHS has not in the past been routinely collected. However, a special study has been made and information on vacancies will be analysed later this year. Information on child psychologist vacancies in local authorities is not available centrally.

NHS Funding

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will increase funding to Grampian NHS Board following reductions in funding under the Arbuthnott formula and, if so, when it will do so.

Malcolm Chisholm: There have been no reductions in funding to Grampian NHS Board due to the Arbuthnott formula. Since the formula was introduced in 2001-02, Grampian NHS Board’s unified budget has increased by over 20% and is currently £483.662 million.

NHS Funding

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will review the Arbuthnott formula for NHS funding.

Malcolm Chisholm: The formula is kept under review by the Standing Committee on Resource Allocation chaired by Sir John Arbuthnott. There are no plans at this stage to carry out a major review.

NHS Funding

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will establish negotiations with professional organisations and trade unions to reach an agreement on Agenda for Change - Modernising the NHS Pay System .

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive has been fully involved in the UK-wide negotiations on Agenda for Change undertaken over the last three years. These have already resulted in an agreement with professional organisations and trade unions to put the Agenda for Change proposals to staff throughout the UK, including Scotland. These proposals are currently out for consultation with staff and in most cases the outcome of the ballots are still awaited.

NHS Services

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS chiropodists there are in each NHS board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested in available on the ISD website, tables F1 and F2. In these tables chiropodists are termed podiatrists.

  http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/isd/NHSiS_resource/Workforce/workforce_statistics.htm.

NHS Services

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will increase the ability of GPs to commission NHS chiropody services directly and expand demand-led chiropody services.

Malcolm Chisholm: The planning and provision of NHS chiropody services is a matter for NHS Boards. GPs are already directly involved in the planning of local NHS services through Local Health Care Co-operatives. This role will be strengthened through the development of Community Health Partnerships as described in Scotland’s Health White Paper Partnership for Care .

NHS Services

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is committed to the organisational change policy in the NHS and, in particular, the no detriment and lifetime protection aspects of the agreement with the Scottish Partnership Forum.

Malcolm Chisholm: The organisational change policy was the first document agreed within the Scottish Partnership Forum and all NHSScotland employers are obliged to implement it. The Scottish Executive Health Department is fully supportive of NHSScotland in its implementation of the policy.

NHS Services

Mr Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to improve the local provision of surgical and accident and emergency services to patients who live to the north and west of the Vale of Leven District General Hospital, given the planned closure and reduction respectively of these services at that hospital.

Malcolm Chisholm: It is primarily for NHS Argyll and Clyde to ensure that their health care services meet the needs of the local population.

  I am aware of the board's decision to engage the contingency plans for surgical services at the Vale of Leven Hospital. I understand that this decision was not taken lightly and was necessary to preserve local access and clinical safety.

  NHS Argyll and Clyde are currently working on a new clinical services strategy for the whole NHS board area and I have been assured that comprehensive public engagement and consultation will inform this.

National Health Service

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will establish fully devolved collective bargaining machinery in the NHS.

Malcolm Chisholm: No. We will continue to undertake collective bargaining within a UK framework.

Non-Departmental Public Bodies

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what powers of direction it has in relation to non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs); what its policy is on the use of such powers, and how it will ensure that all NDPBs operate and make decisions in an accountable and responsive manner.

Mr Andy Kerr: Powers of direction vary from body to body. They are usually contained in each body’s establishing legislation or other founding framework documentation. Powers may also be contained in legislation relevant to a body’s functions or areas of responsibility.

  NDPBs vary greatly in size and nature of their operations. It is important that the scope and use of powers of direction reflect that variety. The decision to make use of such powers therefore lies with individual ministers, assessing the circumstances on a case-by-case basis.

  The report Public Bodies: Proposals for Change contained detailed recommendations for improving the Accountability and Governance of NDPBs. It emphasised an approach based on "multiple accountability". This makes clear that NDPBs have a duty to continuously improve and strengthen their links to stakeholders, users and customers and the general public, as well as to be accountable to ministers and the Parliament. A copy of the report is available at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/government/pbreview.pdf.

Ophthalmic Services

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many pairs of spectacles with tinted lenses were dispensed through Ayrshire and Arran NHS Board and, of these, how many were dispensed by each registered optician in the board's area in each year since 1996.

Malcolm Chisholm: The number of optical voucher supplements for tints paid in respect of Ayrshire and Arran NHS Board area for the financial years 1996 to 2003 is shown in table 1. The number of optical voucher supplements for tints paid in respect of each ophthalmic dispenser in the board's area in 2003 is shown in table 2. Information for previous years is not available.

  Table 1

  


Year 
  

1996 
  

1997 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  

2000 
  

2001 
  

2002 
  

2003 
  



Number of Tint Supplements Paid 
  

6,535 
  

5,212 
  

4,616 
  

4,886 
  

3,230 
  

2,787 
  

2,074 
  

1,472 
  



  Note:

  For year ended 31 March.

  Table 2

  


Ophthalmic Dispenser 
  

Number of Tint Supplements Paid 
  



1 
  

1 
  



2 
  

52 
  



3 
  

21 
  



4 
  

9 
  



5 
  

54 
  



6 
  

4 
  



7 
  

18 
  



8 
  

9 
  



9 
  

11 
  



10 
  

43 
  



11 
  

26 
  



12 
  

42 
  



13 
  

4 
  



14 
  

30 
  



15 
  

12 
  



16 
  

5 
  



17 
  

Nil 
  



18 
  

3 
  



19 
  

1 
  



20 
  

19 
  



21 
  

Nil 
  



22 
  

Nil 
  



23 
  

50 
  



24 
  

20 
  



25 
  

27 
  



26 
  

7 
  



27 
  

18 
  



28 
  

23 
  



29 
  

50 
  



30 
  

14 
  



31 
  

6 
  



32 
  

8 
  



33 
  

16 
  



34 
  

12 
  



35 
  

14 
  



36 
  

1 
  



37 
  

4 
  



38 
  

43 
  



39 
  

130 
  



40 
  

221 
  



41 
  

125 
  



42 
  

55 
  



43 
  

31 
  



44 
  

14 
  



45 
  

36 
  



46 
  

36 
  



47 
  

10 
  



48 
  

6 
  



49 
  

Nil 
  



50 
  

26 
  



51 
  

Nil 
  



52 
  

46 
  



53 
  

23 
  



54 
  

Nil 
  



55 
  

6 
  



56 
  

9 
  



57 
  

3 
  



58 
  

12 
  



59 
  

6 
  



60 
  

Nil 
  



61 
  

Nil 
  



Total 
  

1,472 
  



  Notes:

  For year ending 31 March 2003.

  In line with data protection principles, the data have been anonymised.

Ophthalmic Services

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many pairs of bifocal spectacles were dispensed through Ayrshire and Arran NHS Board and, of these, how many were dispensed by each registered optician in the board's area in each year since 1996.

Malcolm Chisholm: The number of optical vouchers for bifocal spectacles paid in respect of Ayrshire and Arran NHS Board area for the financial years 1996 to 2003 is shown in table 1. The number of optical vouchers for bifocal spectacles paid in respect of each ophthalmic dispenser in the board's area for the year 2003 is shown in table 2. Information for previous years is not available.

  Table 1

  


Year 
  

1996 
  

1997 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  

2000 
  

2001 
  

2002 
  

2003 
  



Number of Optical Vouchers for Bifocals Paid 
  

8,183 
  

8,071 
  

7,831 
  

8,403 
  

6,710 
  

6,926 
  

7,611 
  

6,867 
  



  Note:

  For year ending 31 March.

  Table 2

  


Ophthalmic Dispenser 
  

Number of Optical Vouchers for Bifocals 
  Paid 
  



1 
  

10 
  



2 
  

238 
  



3 
  

110 
  



4 
  

30 
  



5 
  

244 
  



6 
  

41 
  



7 
  

50 
  



8 
  

99 
  



9 
  

107 
  



10 
  

105 
  



11 
  

49 
  



12 
  

85 
  



13 
  

44 
  



14 
  

102 
  



15 
  

52 
  



16 
  

74 
  



17 
  

2 
  



18 
  

91 
  



19 
  

42 
  



20 
  

94 
  



21 
  

63 
  



22 
  

40 
  



23 
  

122 
  



24 
  

48 
  



25 
  

163 
  



26 
  

28 
  



27 
  

53 
  



28 
  

76 
  



29 
  

96 
  



30 
  

171 
  



31 
  

150 
  



32 
  

66 
  



33 
  

194 
  



34 
  

127 
  



35 
  

299 
  



36 
  

Nil 
  



37 
  

87 
  



38 
  

100 
  



39 
  

436 
  



40 
  

682 
  



41 
  

366 
  



42 
  

303 
  



43 
  

104 
  



44 
  

161 
  



45 
  

60 
  



46 
  

249 
  



47 
  

38 
  



48 
  

49 
  



49 
  

7 
  



50 
  

184 
  



51 
  

2 
  



52 
  

116 
  



53 
  

97 
  



54 
  

3 
  



55 
  

38 
  



56 
  

197 
  



57 
  

98 
  



58 
  

82 
  



59 
  

15 
  



60 
  

2 
  



61 
  

26 
  



Total 
  

6,867 
  



  Notes:

  For year ending 31 March 2003.

  In line with data protection principles, the data have been anonymised.

Ophthalmic Services

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many dual pairs of spectacles, one for reading and one for distance, were dispensed through Ayrshire and Arran NHS Board and, of these, how many were dispensed by each registered optician in the board's area in each year since 1996.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not available.

Ophthalmic Services

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many supplements for children's spectacle frames were claimed through Ayrshire and Arran NHS Board and, of these, how many were claimed by each registered optician in the board's area in each year since 1996.

Malcolm Chisholm: The number of optical vouchers with supplements for small glasses paid in respect of Ayrshire and Arran NHS Board area for the financial years 1997 to 2003 is shown in table 1. A robust estimate is not available for 1996. The number of optical vouchers with supplements for small glasses paid in respect of each ophthalmic dispenser in the board's area is shown in table 2. Information for previous years is not available.

  Table 1

  


Year 
  

1997 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  

2000 
  

2001 
  

2002 
  

2003 
  



Number of Small Glasses Supplements Paid 
  

105 
  

99 
  

118 
  

53 
  

44 
  

24 
  

24 
  



  Note:

  For year ending 31 March.

  Table 2

  


Ophthalmic Dispenser 
  

Number of Small Glasses Supplements Paid 
  



1 
  

Nil 
  



2 
  

1 
  



3 
  

2 
  



4 
  

1 
  



5 
  

1 
  



6 
  

Nil 
  



7 
  

1 
  



8 
  

Nil 
  



9 
  

Nil 
  



10 
  

Nil 
  



11 
  

Nil 
  



12 
  

Nil 
  



13 
  

1 
  



14 
  

Nil 
  



15 
  

1 
  



16 
  

Nil 
  



17 
  

Nil 
  



18 
  

Nil 
  



19 
  

Nil 
  



20 
  

Nil 
  



21 
  

1 
  



22 
  

1 
  



23 
  

1 
  



24 
  

Nil 
  



25 
  

Nil 
  



26 
  

Nil 
  



27 
  

4 
  



28 
  

Nil 
  



29 
  

1 
  



30 
  

Nil 
  



31 
  

Nil 
  



32 
  

Nil 
  



33 
  

Nil 
  



34 
  

Nil 
  



35 
  

4 
  



36 
  

Nil 
  



37 
  

Nil 
  



38 
  

2 
  



39 
  

Nil 
  



40 
  

Nil 
  



41 
  

Nil 
  



42 
  

Nil 
  



43 
  

Nil 
  



44 
  

Nil 
  



45 
  

Nil 
  



46 
  

1 
  



47 
  

Nil 
  



48 
  

Nil 
  



49 
  

Nil 
  



50 
  

Nil 
  



51 
  

Nil 
  



52 
  

Nil 
  



53 
  

Nil 
  



54 
  

Nil 
  



55 
  

Nil 
  



56 
  

Nil 
  



57 
  

Nil 
  



58 
  

Nil 
  



59 
  

1 
  



60 
  

Nil 
  



61 
  

Nil 
  



Total 
  

24 
  



  Notes:

  For year ending 31 March 2003.

  In line with data protection principles, the data have been anonymised.

Ophthalmic Services

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisms were dispensed through Ayrshire and Arran NHS Board and, of these, how many were dispensed by each registered optician in the board's area in each year since 1996.

Malcolm Chisholm: The number of optical vouchers with supplements for prisms paid in respect of Ayrshire and Arran NHS Board area for the financial years 1997 to 2003 is shown in table 1. A robust estimate is not available for 1996. The number of optical voucher with supplements for prisms paid in respect of each ophthalmic dispenser in the board's area for the year 2003 is shown in table 2. Information for previous years is not available.

  Table 1

  


Year 
  

1997 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  

2000 
  

2001 
  

2002 
  

2003 
  



Number of Prism Supplements Paid 
  

590 
  

537 
  

563 
  

515 
  

563 
  

611 
  

477 
  



  Note:

  For year ending 31 March.

  Table 2

  


Ophthalmic Dispenser 
  

Number of Prism Supplements Paid 
  



1 
  

Nil 
  



2 
  

10 
  



3 
  

11 
  



4 
  

6 
  



5 
  

13 
  



6 
  

7 
  



7 
  

7 
  



8 
  

1 
  



9 
  

1 
  



10 
  

2 
  



11 
  

1 
  



12 
  

2 
  



13 
  

16 
  



14 
  

6 
  



15 
  

Nil 
  



16 
  

2 
  



17 
  

Nil 
  



18 
  

6 
  



19 
  

5 
  



20 
  

4 
  



21 
  

7 
  



22 
  

5 
  



23 
  

3 
  



24 
  

11 
  



25 
  

16 
  



26 
  

2 
  



27 
  

8 
  



28 
  

5 
  



29 
  

6 
  



30 
  

5 
  



31 
  

7 
  



32 
  

7 
  



33 
  

48 
  



34 
  

7 
  



35 
  

9 
  



36 
  

Nil 
  



37 
  

7 
  



38 
  

3 
  



39 
  

33 
  



40 
  

48 
  



41 
  

14 
  



42 
  

22 
  



43 
  

6 
  



44 
  

8 
  



45 
  

3 
  



46 
  

14 
  



47 
  

1 
  



48 
  

5 
  



49 
  

Nil 
  



50 
  

Nil 
  



51 
  

Nil 
  



52 
  

4 
  



53 
  

6 
  



54 
  

Nil 
  



55 
  

1 
  



56 
  

49 
  



57 
  

2 
  



58 
  

5 
  



59 
  

Nil 
  



60 
  

Nil 
  



61 
  

Nil 
  



Total 
  

477 
  



  Notes:

  For year ending 31 March 2003.

  In line with data protection principles, the data have been anonymised.

Pharmacies

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to reverse its decision not to accept the recommendations of the report by the Office of Fair Trading on entry to NHS pharmaceutical dispensing contracts.

Malcolm Chisholm: There are no plans to reverse the decision.

Pharmacies

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussions with Her Majesty's Government on entry to NHS pharmaceutical dispensing contracts and, if so, what the outcomes were.

Malcolm Chisholm: There have been no discussions with the UK Government following the Scottish Executives decision, announced on 26 March, that de-regulation of community pharmacy control of entry arrangements was not the way forward for Scotland.

Police

Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what investigations it has carried out into any potential health risks associated with radio masts being supplied by Airwave MM02 Ltd for the new police forces communications service.

Cathy Jamieson: The new police communications system being supplied by Airwave MM02 uses the Terrestrial Trunked Radio standard (TETRA). The issue of possible health effects caused by signals from TETRA base stations was addressed in a report by the National Radiological Protection Board’s independent Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation. The report, entitled Possible Health Effects from Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA): Report of an Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation , was published in 2002. Access to it can be obtained via the NRPB Website:

  http://www.nrpb.org/publications/documents_of_nrpb/abstracts/absd12-2.htm.

Police

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the police funding formula will be revised and a revised formula implemented

Cathy Jamieson: A review of the police funding formula is currently on-going and work on outstanding issues should be completed by March 2004. However, in response to the provisional conclusions of the review, a transitional adjustment was fed into the calculation of forces’ allocations for the current three-year settlement period. This resulted in additional amounts being included in the allocations for Grampian, Fife, Central and Northern.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33575 by Mr Jim Wallace on 24 March 2003, what information it receives regarding the performance of HM Prison Kilmarnock against the targets introduced by the Health and Safety Commission in Revitalising Health and Safety.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  None.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost per uncrowded prisoner place is for (a) the Scottish Prison Service as a whole and (b) each prison and young offenders institution.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  The

  SPS calculates the cost per prisoner place whether uncrowded or not, the figures for which are set out in the SPS Annual Reports which are laid before Parliament.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what factors underlie the difference between the target for HM Prison Service for 2001-02 of £36,323 per uncrowded prisoner place and the target for the Scottish Prison Service for 2001-02 of £32,600 per prisoner place.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  The SPS have no information of the details of the first figure quoted in the question.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why the Scottish Prison Service has no target cost per prisoner similar to that of HM Prison Service.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Prison Service has a cost per prisoner place target rather than a cost per prisoner target. The former has been in place since 1993-94. No need is seen for the latter.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33802 by Mr Jim Wallace on 18 February 2003, how many performance points have been accrued by the operators of HM Prison Kilmarnock under the Minute of Agreement between the Secretary of State for Scotland and Kilmarnock Prison Services Limited for the Design, Construction, Management and Financing of a Prison at Kilmarnock as a result of the concerted indiscipline there from 29 to 31 January 2003.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Forty.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33812 by Mr Jim Wallace on 18 February 2003, whether any performance points will accrue directly or indirectly to the operators of HM Prison Kilmarnock in respect of the fire at the prison reported in the Sunday Mail on 19 January 2003 and what the reasons are for the position on the matter.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  No. Investigations have not identified any breach of discipline or of procedures which would justify application of performance points, as defined in schedule F of the contract.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33583 by Mr Jim Wallace on 10 February 2003, what the expenditure outturn was for the delegated budget for each prison and young offenders institution in 2002-03.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The information will not be available until the accounts for the year have been audited and published later this year.

Public Transport

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what legal obligations there are on bus operators to plan bus routes to serve key public services such as hospitals and clinics.

Nicol Stephen: There are no statutory obligations on bus operators to plan bus routes to serve key public services. The Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 provides a framework, which allows local transport authorities to enhance the provision of bus services. The act provides a "toolkit" of options including Quality Partnerships and Quality Contracts. Transport authorities also have powers under the Transport Act 1985 to provide socially necessary services.

Public Transport

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the provisions for providing bus services on loss-making routes are adequate.

Nicol Stephen: The Transport Act 1985 gives local transport authorities wide powers to secure the provision of subsidised public transport services.

Rail Network

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it is giving to a feasibility study into the restoration of a station at Reston.

Nicol Stephen: No funding has been sought from the Scottish Executive for such a study. The opening or re-opening of railway stations is generally considered a local transport issue and as such we would expect the relevant local authority to take a project forward. It is a matter for Scottish Borders Council to determine whether the restoration of a station at Reston is one of its transport priorities and to identify appropriate funding for a feasibility study. Any proposal to re-open a station at Reston would also require the Scottish Borders Council to consult the Strategic Rail Authority.

Regeneration

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to regenerate town and village centres.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive is working with a wide range of public and private sector organisations to make both town and village centres more attractive and accessible, which in turn will enhance their potential for commercial and business development. Funding is available from various sources to assist in this work.

Roads

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether plans for another road crossing over the River Don in Aberdeen have implications for the Aberdeen western peripheral route.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is committed to building the Aberdeen western peripheral route, which includes a new crossing of the River Don. I am aware of the report prepared by Aberdeen City Council in April 2003, outlining possible options for a new local road crossing of the River Don. Any such road would be a matter for the local authority. If Aberdeen City Council were to take forward a proposal then it would need to consider how the road would impact on their regional transport strategy, of which the western peripheral route is part.

Roads

Campbell Martin (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to develop a traffic management system to alleviate peak-time traffic congestion in the town centre of Dalry in Ayrshire.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive contributed to a traffic study carried out by North Ayrshire Council in Dalry town centre. The council has been asked to take forward the necessary traffic modelling work on behalf of the Executive for suggested improvements involving the Roche Way, Vennel Street and New Street junctions with the A737 trunk road. If the results of this work show benefits any proposals will require to demonstrate value for money and will be taken forward subject to the availability of funding and other trunk road priorities.

Roads

Campbell Martin (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to create a bypass around Dalry in Ayrshire and, if so, at what stage any such plans are and what the timetable is until any bypass becomes operational.

Nicol Stephen: There are no plans in the current programme to build a bypass around Dalry. While the Executive recognises the importance of the A737 to the Ayrshire economy, a bypass for Dalry would need to compete for future funding against the demands for other major trunk road improvement schemes throughout Scotland.

Scottish Agricultural College

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will next visit the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) Craibstone campus and which minister will visit.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has no plans to visit the college’s campus at Craibstone. However, I have raised a number of concerns with the college in relation to its proposals for rationalisation and have asked it to submit revised proposals. When considering these I will be taking account of the comments and representations I have received in relation to SAC’s strategic review.

Scottish Agricultural College

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any meetings with the board of the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) to discuss the proposed closure of the Craibstone campus and, if so, what the outcomes were and which ministers attended.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has had no meetings of the type specified but my officials and I have had a number of meetings with SAC over their rationalisation proposals. I have raised a number of concerns with SAC about its proposals for rationalisation and I expect SAC to address those concerns and submit revised proposals to the Executive.

Scottish Agricultural College

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will direct the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) to cease moving any further staff to Edinburgh in advance of the Parliament having an opportunity to debate the future of the college, given the position of the college management that no decision will be taken without the Parliament having considered the issue, and whether it will intervene to prevent any further action being taken that would have the effect of implementing any decision by the college management in respect of this matter.

Ross Finnie: The current position is that SAC is addressing concerns that have been raised by me and others about its proposals for rationalisation. It will be submitting revised proposals to the Executive. No decision has been taken on a preferred option. Against that background I do not expect SAC to take any action that would pre-empt or prejudice the final outcome of its strategic review.

Scottish Natural Heritage

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive why it selected the Inverness option for the relocation of the headquarters of Scottish Natural Heritage, in the light of the conclusion in the report by the DTZ Group, Relocation Study for Scottish Natural Heritage , that, on the basis of primary non-financial parameters, "the only location which can be discounted is Inverness".

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive’s relocation policy is intended to ensure that public sector jobs, and the economic benefits that they bring, are shared across all of Scotland. The co-location of the two current Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) headquarter buildings to a single site away from the extremely competitive Edinburgh labour market will realise significant efficiency gains in the long term. SNH already has over 200 staff based in the Highlands and Islands and 50 staff located in Inverness. The move would therefore allow potential synergies to be explored. In addition, due to the profile and nature of its work, SNH is a better candidate than other organisations for location in the Highland area.

Scottish Natural Heritage

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what costs will be incurred specifically as a result of relocating the headquarters of Scottish Natural Heritage to Inverness instead of to one of the options found to be more cost-effective in the report by the DTZ Group, Relocation Study for Scottish Natural Heritage .

Ross Finnie: The figures included in the report by DTZ Pieda represent the discounted values of a stream of costs and benefits of the various relocation options for Scottish Natural Heritage over a 30-year period. The figures contained in the DTZ Pieda report and subsequent analysis by officials have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre. In the context of the wider relocation policy objectives to enable the economic benefits of public sector jobs to be shared around all of Scotland’s communities, ministers took the view that relocation to Inverness would bring benefits in terms of the development of the policy which would outweigh purely financial considerations.

Scottish Natural Heritage

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how the Inverness option for relocating the headquarters of Scottish Natural Heritage compared with other possible options in respect of "economic development need" in the assessment by the DTZ Group.

Ross Finnie: The assessment of economic development need of the relocation options considered in the DTZ Pieda study is shown in the table.

  

 

Edinburgh 
  

West Lothian 
  

Stirling 
  

Perth 
  

Inverness 
  



Economic Development Need 
  

Low 
  

High 
  

Low 
  

Low 
  

Medium

Scottish Water

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average salary of Scottish Water staff was in 2002-03.

Ross Finnie: Scottish Water's audited accounts for 2002-03 are not yet available.

Scottish Water

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average salary of staff of (a) West of Scotland Water, (b) North of Scotland Water and (c) East of Scotland Water was in each of the last three financial years of its operation.

Ross Finnie: This information is available from the audited accounts of the three former Water Authorities. Copies of their accounts as laid before the Scottish Parliament are held in the Parliament’s Reference Centre. Bib. Numbers are as follows:

  


Water Authorities’ Published Accounts 
  

Scottish Parliament Information Centre - 
  Bib. Numbers 
  



NoSWA 
  

ESWA 
  

WoSWA 
  



1999-2000 
  

8790 
  

7898 
  

7925 
  



2000-01 
  

16464 
  

17792 
  

16463 
  



2001-02 
  

24607 
  

24610 
  

24612

Scottish Water

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the projected average salary of Scottish Water staff is for (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05 and (c) 2005-06.

Ross Finnie: Scottish Water’s pay remit year on year is controlled within the public sector pay guidelines applied to all public bodies. The total wage bill for each year will depend upon the rate at which planned reductions in the workforce through the voluntary severance programme are achieved.

Scottish Water

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £200 million set aside for Scottish Water to help with redundancy payments has been utilised specifically for meeting redundancy payments; how much has been allocated to other budget headings, and what the purpose of any such budget heading is.

Ross Finnie: The information sought will be contained in the 2002-03 accounts for Scottish Water. Ministers will lay these before Parliament, together with any report sent to them by the Auditor General for Scotland, once audited. A budget of £200 million was set aside over the four-year Strategic Review period for Scottish Water to use on a range of spend to save measures, including redundancy payments.

Scottish Water

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of net new borrowings Scottish Water will incur in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05 and (c) 2005-06.

Ross Finnie: The level of net new borrowings available to Scottish Water will not exceed the levels published in table 9.02 in The Scottish Executive: Draft Budget 2003-04 , which may be found on the Scottish Executive’s website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/finance/dbd03-15.asp

Social Inclusion

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria are applied in making social inclusion funding available to further education (FE) colleges and whether different criteria apply to urban and rural colleges.

Mr Jim Wallace: Formulaic funding for social inclusion is provided by the Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC) via the three strands shown as follows:

  Entry Costs Social Inclusion Premium: This element reflects SFEFC's on-going commitment to support the development of further education as a means of giving new opportunities to people from socially deprived areas. The premium supports the extra costs colleges bear when engaging with socially excluded groups and provides an incentive for colleges to increase their provision for these groups. Colleges will receive a premium worth £57.95 in 2003-04 for students domiciled within the 20% most deprived areas in Scotland.

  Retention and Achievement Social Inclusion Premium: This element acknowledges the difficulty in meeting the on-going support needs of students from under-represented groups as they progress through their courses. Colleges will receive a premium for 2003-04 worth £9.94 per unit of funding generated by students domiciled within the 20% most deprived areas in Scotland.

  Remoteness Element: SFEFC has a duty, on behalf of the Scottish ministers, to ensure that there is adequate and efficient provision of FE in Scotland. It is recognised that there are additional costs, for what are often small colleges, associated with operating in remote and island areas of Scotland. The remoteness element aims to reflect the additional costs which these colleges necessarily bear. Each qualifying remote college receives an institutional element (£191,359 for 2003-04), and the sum of £30.70 per head based on the number of students whose home address is in a sparsely populated area.

  It is also recognised that colleges operating on islands or in extremely remote locations can face even higher financial burdens due to their location. Therefore, both the above institutional and student based elements are uplifted by a further 30% for island locations and 15% for extremely remote mainland locations.

Social Inclusion

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria are used to assess social exclusion in a rural context.

Ross Finnie: Social Exclusion can take many forms and is often complex and multi-dimensional. The Social Justice Milestones are used throughout Scotland to measure a range of issues that can lead to social exclusion. The Scottish Executive is ensuring that the needs of rural areas are identified through urban/rural disaggregation of social statistics. For example, the Social Justice Annual Report’s technical report disaggregated 12 of the social justice milestones on an urban and rural basis. A compendium of rural statistics – Social Focus on Urban Rural Scotland – was published on 22 May 2003.

Sport

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will urge  sportscotland to approve the application for financial assistance in connection with the Morar playing field; what its position is on whether the decision by  sportscotland on this application could have been made before the Parliament was dissolved and on the written statement made by  sportscotland to applicants on this issue, and whether it will make representations to  sportscotland to ensure that financial assistance is provided for the Lovat Memorial Games field at Morar.

Mr Frank McAveety: The consideration and determination of individual lottery applications are matters for  sportscotland. The role of ministers relates to the setting of strategic priorities and making Policy and Financial Directions.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Project

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer,  further to the answer to question S1W-8962 by Sir David Steel on 21 August 2000, whether the works package in respect of "MSP Cladding" included the windows contract.

Mr George Reid: Yes.